When turning a passion into your livelihood, work/life balance can seem like a myth as the two worlds begin to blend. But creating a better balance can be a reality. Below are some simple tips for creating harmony between your professional and personal life.

BUILD LIFESTYLE INTO YOUR BRAND
As a fitness professional, you’re focused on helping your clients live a healthy life. Sometimes, however, it’s hard to practice what you preach. Create a culture in your business that values whole body wellness, including rest and relaxation. Whether it involves working the same muscle groups too many times a week or working too many hours per week, extol the virtue that there can be too much of a good thing. Then live that message.

Schedules should be used for more than your classes. You have mastered the art of creating a class schedule that will pack the house. Now, master the art of maintaining a personal schedule. Use a calendar app on your phone to create time in your day for doing things you enjoy. Make appointments with yourself to head to the salon, hit the farmers market, go for a hike or spend some QT with your pet.

HIRE THE RIGHT SUPPORT STAFF
If your studio is your baby, it may be time to hire a sitter. Make a list of all the daily and weekly tasks you do to run your business. Then make a list of the work you do that creates the most value for your studio. Shift any item on the task list that doesn’t match up on the value list to a third list of tasks to delegate to your staff.

For example, if you are still ordering supplies or working the reception desk for several hours per week, these are jobs that can be delegated to others. However, you should be focused on developing a fall membership promotion or teaching a high-level class that can only be done by you. This is where you bring value to growing your business and servicing your clients.

LEARN SOMETHING NEW
By setting a goal to learn something new, you will give your mind and your body a break from the daily grind of running your studio. Focusing on self-improvement should give you time away from your studio; however, your new knowledge and skill can still be useful to your business. Take language lessons in anticipation of going on a fitness retreat to South America this year. Sign up for cooking classes to learn how to make more vegetarian meals. In the long run, what you learn can improve the services you provide to your clients.

ACCEPT THAT BALANCED DOES NOT MEAN EQUAL
When you create work/life balance, you feel fulfilled, happy and healthy. For many studio owners who are passionate about their businesses, this could mean working overtime, if you feel good doing it. Thinking you can evenly distribute your time is unrealistic. However, the key to striking balance is to know when you are feeling stressed out — or burned out —about your business and taking a step back.